I’ve never been to North Carolina, except in books, and my fictional visits have never centered around Wilmington NC real estate, as much as they have beach houses on the Outer Banks, but even though I’ve never visited, it’s a place I’m drawn to.

I blame Anne Rivers Siddons. Her novels, slightly more romance than chick lit, but only slightly, always have these creative women who live at the beach, and don’t care if their hair is crusted with salt, or their khakis are ancient and worn, so long as they can enjoy the sun and the sand and maybe see a turtle or two.

The thing about Siddons, though, is that she makes all the east coast beaches feel amazing, better than the beaches of California, and far more wild and rugged than they really are. When you’re reading a Siddons book, you don’t have to think about how polluted the water is, or that people are overfishing, or that you’re as likely to get a fish hook embedded in your toe than a perfect summer tan glowing on your skin.

It’s escapism, but it’s escapism that carries with it the scent of salt air.

The ocean is in my thoughts more and more as summer draws to a close. Tourists may love the shore in summer – I always preferred it in fall.

Someday, I want to be one of those salty-haired women who live at the beach.
I want to look out at blue water, and write.

But I’ll write about creative women who sip designer coffee in trendy cafes.